South Dakota Department of Transportation Launches New and Improved Traveler Information Site
For Immediate Release: Friday, December 18, 2020
Contact: Kristi Sandal, Public Information Officer, 605-773-7179
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has rolled out a new traveler information website and mobile app just in time for holiday travel and safe winter driving.
To help motorists plan for safe travel, SDDOT has long offered free, up-to-date road camera images and information on road and weather conditions, road closures, construction work zones, commercial vehicle restrictions, and traffic incidents by phone, web page, and a mobile app.
“Safety on our roadways is our number one priority,” says Interim Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt. “Whether people are traveling during a winter snow event or the height of road construction season, access to real-time road conditions is crucial.”
SDDOT’s new SD511.org website replaces the old SafeTravelUSA website, providing an improved appearance and new features like current traffic levels and compatibility with modern web browsers like Edge, Chrome, Safari, and Firefox. Website users will automatically be redirected from https://www.safetravelusa.com/sd/ to https://sd511.org/.
SDDOT 511 apps are available free from app stores for Apple and Android mobile phones and tablets. The apps display the same information as the website, automatically configure to device screen size, and remember user preferences for favorite routes or destinations.
“One of the most significant new features of the phone-based 511 system is voice recognition,” notes Dave Huft, Research Program Manager. “This feature allows users to request travel information hands-free by voice, not just phone keypad; which is a great advancement toward promoting roadway safety.”
For more information about the SD511 system, please contact Dave Huft at 605-773-3292.
The mission of the South Dakota Department of Transportation is to efficiently provide a safe and effective public transportation system. Read more about the innovative work of the SDDOT at https://dot.sd.gov/.
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